0 The Villanova University Band Presents... THE HAS BINN Spring 2017 Edition THANK YOU SENIORS! A Farewell to the Class of 2017 and the 2016-17 Band Season POETRY CORNER - Where in the world is Binncat? - General Band Shenanigans Senior Features - Senior Reflections STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL EDITION ON APRIL 30! SPRING 2017 1 A Letter From Your Editors Dear VU Band, Hello from your new Editors! We thought we’d take a moment before this VERY LONG EDITION of the Has Binn to introduce ourselves, briefly. I’m Marianne Donley, a junior in the best section in the band: the saxophones. I’m their section leader/dictator, a pep band director, and a Publicity Committee Chairperson. I clearly enjoy having no free time because I’m double majoring in English and Chemistry. I’m from Pittsburgh, Aka “the better side of PA.” Let’s Go Pens, amirite? Nice to meet you, Marianne! I’m Mike Bigley, a sophomore in the better best section of the band, the trumpets. I’m a Math and Econ major with a minor in Stats so in case you haven’t realized by now, I am a total nerd. And like many Villanovans, I hail from the great state of New Jersey. Great to meet you both! I’m Elizabeth Hagopian, a sophomore in the greatest section of all, the clarinets! In my spare time from the Has Binn, I’m a Nursing major from the best state of Fall Tour New England: Massachusetts. But enough about all of us... In this edition of the Has Binn you will find many of the band’s literary attempts...I mean achievements. The Has Binn has morphed in recent years into as much of a literary … magazine as a newsletter. We’ve got an extensive “Poetry Corner” as well as several narrative accounts of a certain missing cat...but more on that later. OUR SENIORS ARE GRADUATING! THE YEAR IS ENDING! We’re recapping the past season and all our seniors have done for us in the final section of the HB. We hope you’ll enjoy our first edition! Thanks to Yena Lee and Jimmy Saile, our graduating editors and ​ incredible predecessors, for setting the Has Binn bar ridiculously high. We will do our best to live up to ​ the legacy of your overachieving. If you’d like to submit an article or have any suggestions for us, feel free to shoot us an email. Sincerely, Marianne Donley ([email protected]), Mike Bigley ([email protected]) , and Elizabeth Hagopian ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ([email protected]) ​ ​ P.S. WE KNOW ALDO’S RETIRING! Stay tuned for our second edition of the Has Binn out in just a few days! … SPRING 2017 2 P O E T C O R N E R Y Ode to the Drum Rest ​ By Olivia “I’m not from the South” Sigmund Sophomore Percussion SPRING 2017 3 Poetry Corner Cont. Shampoo Pizza ​ By Zbynek “Future Band President” Gold Freshman Trombone SPRING 2017 4 Binncat’s Log Submitted by an anonymous “this is totally Chris Bowers btw” source (Anonymous freshman clarinet) Binncat’s Log 23:13 December 10, 2016 This is it. They’ve taken far too long to find him. It falls to me to begin my quest in search of him. Scott Jr. This Binnmas night of joy and celebration has only served to remind me of his suffering. I can still remember the day that Scott Jr. went off to the war. So proud to serve, so eager to impress his dad. But since then there has been zero contact from his unit. Rumor is that they were all captured by the Duke. Poor Scott Jr. doesn’t even know that his dad passed on to the big highway in the sky. But don’t worry young Scotty. I’m coming for you, and when I get my claws on that Duke I’ll make that bastard pay for the horrors he’s put you through. Stay strong my brother. Binncat’s Log 05:15 December 11, 2016 My search begins. My contacts at GMU have informed me that Scott Jr. was placed into a covert ops unit specializing in badger removal. They say that his unit had a big mission coming up in SPRING 2017 5 the next few months, but communications were lost before they could embark upon it. My contacts also told me that his unit was training at 401 7th Ave, New York, NY 10001. I guess this is my first destination. We’re going back to the top of the world. Binncat’s Log 07:12 January 13, 2017 My journey to New York has finally completed. It’s been almost a month since my last log entry. The road has been hard on me. My supplies are running low. I’m down to my last Natty. I can only hope that I can replenish my supplies at Scott Jr.’s training facility. I’m sure they had him staying in the nicest place possible. God knows the kid deserves it… I’m nearing my destination now. Everything seems so foreign here. I wonder what kind of beer they have… Binncat’s Log 10:36 January 13, 2017 What is this hellhole. I arrived at Scott Jr.’s training facility, and all I can do is hope that there is a God. It feels as though there should be Glenn Miller music drifting through the hallways, but as I enter the front lobby a man dressed as a comic book character strikes a pose and seems to expect me to play along. Thanks, but no thanks buddy. I prefer to live in reality, not some twisted fantasy in which you have a chance of being relevant. I approach the desk and ask if they knew anything about Scott Jr. They mention that there has been some training on the roof so I guess that’s as good of a place as any to start. I hope it’s as easy as they make it sound to get up there. Binncat’s Log 11:03 January 13, 2017 I have arrived on the roof. The whole city stretches out before me. If I wasn’t on a mission I may have stayed to enjoy the view. Alas though, I had to continue my search. Scott Jr. was not to be found here. There was only a man with a bow in his hair. I asked him what he knew. He told me that Scott Jr.’s unit had SPRING 2017 6 been deployed to Buffalo to await further orders. I thanked him and bid farewell to the bow man on the roof. I’m off to Buffalo. Binncat’s Log 12:46 January 23, 2017 Buffalo. What a terrible place. It reeks worse than the Binn after the Chug. At least they have good wings. That’s beside the point though. I need to find Scott Jr. If I know that truck though, he’ll be sightseeing. I heard Pinchock took the band to Niagara Falls once when they came here. That seems like as good of a place to start as any. Better get moving. Binncat’s Log 16:32 January 23, 2017 Ah the Falls. All this water flowing reminds me of how the keg flows in the Binn. I do miss my home… But I have my mission. I must find Scott Jr. Looking around I don’t see a covert ops truck anywhere. Wait. What is that?! No… It can’t be… WAIT WAIT! NOOOOOOOOooooooooooo… END TRANSMISSION These are the last transmissions from the log of Agent T.H. Cat, AKA “Binncat”. Upon further investigation by the agency a recording from a CCTV camera was recovered showing Public Enemy #1 alias: “The Duke” tripping Agent T.H. Cat and sending our agent tumbling over the falls. We have sent a team of divers to attempt to recover the body of our agent, but after three days of searching they have found no remains. At this time Agent T.H. Cat is presumed dead, but several of our sources report sightings of a familiar feline form drinking Natty’s in North Carolina on the front porch of the Murdter Estate. If this is indeed our agent we can only wonder why he has not returned to the agency. Maybe he finally found Scott Jr. and they are training for another mission? We cannot be sure though. Further observation is required. -T.H. SPRING 2017 7 Finding Baby By Taylor “Orgo’s Bitch” Heuermann Sophomore Clarinet Spooky Baby awoke with a start from his fitful, dreamless sleep to the sounds of a violent fight right outside his door. Spooky couldn’t make out any intelligible words, but the battle sounded vicious. The small, unfurnished room he had been trapped in for days had nowhere for him to hide, so Baby pressed himself into a corner of the room and tried to make himself as unnoticeable as possible. He had no idea what was going on, but it certainly couldn’t mean anything good for him. When the sounds of the battle quieted down, Baby trembled, unsure of what to expect but filled with a sense of foreboding. The lock on his door slowly turned, and with a faint click, the door creaked slowly open. Spooky Baby was on the verge of soiling himself when he heard a familiar voice whisper his name. “Spooky?” “BINN CAT!” Spooky Baby tumbled awkwardly over to his dearest friend, Binn cat, who looked him up and down for any sign of injury.